WHY MARCHING IS NOT ENOUGH
How to Fight Mind Wars
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE STREETS IS NOT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE MINDS
Mass media report contradicting numbers and actions. Paid trolls on social media distort reality further by providing fake news, conspiracy theories and Photoshopped visuals. Peaceful protests are depicted as violence. The cause of protest can be re-interpreted and manipulated in the interest of the regimes.
*2018 UPDATE
Here is a good effort to reverse reality. Trump’s tweet was quoted in Russian media and the March lost its political message.
Breitbart coverage of Women’s March 2018 skillfully used NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) and smear tactics to engineer the desired image. Reporters used the selection of photos with scatological and physiological terms in order to create a visceral reaction and took slogans out of context to ridicule and diminish the importance of the message.
2017
The truth becomes a phantom, a non-existing entity. Confused and disoriented, people become an easy target for political campaigns.
Expressing feelings with likely minded people feels good. But we need to get serious.
Brains win mind wars. Not arms. Not feet.
In mind war, heads are for thinking, not for hats.
WHAT IS GOING ON?
We are losing a hybrid-war to the Kremlin. There many aspects: hacking, bribing, blackmail, and more, that out of our power.
This short article covers things we can do. Let’s take it step by step.
MIND WAR: WHAT IS IT?
In its effort to brainwash the Western population, Moscow uses a well-designed strategy with a differentiated approach to various demographics.
“Political technologists” (a profession that does not exist in the US) develop sophisticated techniques based on psychology, history and cultural and linguistics studies. I had a misfortune of studying “special propaganda” at the university previously attended by Putin, Medvedev and Sechin. I feel that it is my duty to explain the basics of political technology in a country where it does not exist. Below are just a few examples.
WHY ARE THEY DOING IT?
The long-term goal is the expansion of Russian economic and geopolitical interests and world domination, resulting in the personal wealth and power of Putin and his allies. The short-term goals:
- Dissolution of the EU and NATO
- Destabilization of the US
- Normalization of the intervention in Ukraine and Syria
- Removal of the economic sanctions against Russia
WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEY DOING?
SOME STRATEGIES OF MIND WARS
1. TROJAN HORSE: MANIPULATING RUSSIAN DIASPORA IN THE US ELECTION
An estimated 30 million of Russian-speaking immigrants from the former USSR worldwide are targeted by the Russian TV channels and Internet.
In order to win the electoral college vote, Trump had to win 2 states, Florida and Pennsylvania, with 29 and 20 electoral votes.
There are 2.9 million Russian-Americans in the USA, 203,000 of them in Florida where Trump won by 112,911 votes. In Pennsylvania, there are 290,000 Russian-Americans; Trump won by 44,312. The overwhelming majority of Russian-Americans voted for Trump as the result of a heavy Russian media anti-Clinton and pro-Trump campaign.
Check out New York: in a traditionally democratic state the majority of Brighton Beach and parts of Brooklyn voted for Trump.
2. MANCHURIAN CANDIDATES: USING WESTERN MINDS
Western celebrities, political leaders, scholars and public figures cover the Russian policy in a positive way or normalize it by visits and appearances. The Kremlin recruits them by using financial incentives, career opportunities and publicity. Some celebrities are unaware of being used for propaganda purposes as they become victims of the same brainwashing.
3. DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THRIVING ON SCHISMS
The Kremlin funds, cultivates, supports and nurtures the US and European nationalistic movements (from far-left to far-right), political parties, organizations and social movements and uses them to manipulate diverse population groups.
FRANCE: MARINE LE PEN
WORLDWIDE: THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF RIGHT-WING PARTIES IN ST.PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
THE US: LYNDON LA ROUCHE
WHAT CAN WE DO? HOW DO WE FIGHT BACK?
They want your mind. Do not give it away. Be aware.
- Think critically. Ask questions.
2. Analyze your information sources. Check the title and affiliation of the media, the date or publication, the author’s bio.
3. Do not watch RT, Sputnik, Global Research and other Kremlin sources.
4. Educate yourself on the basics of propaganda, brainwashing and mass psychology. 2018 update: WE ARE NOW TEACHING FREE SEMINARS ON PROPAGANDA TACTICS AND STRATEGIES. JOIN FACEBOOK PAGE TO FIND A CLASS NEXT TO YOU OR WATCH THE FORTHCOMING YOUTUBE SEMINARS.
5. Turn to history, philosophy, literature, anthropology and art. Culture is a free survival manual — if you read it carefully.
6. Stay tuned to nature, family, friends, your body. Trees, ocean, flowers, children and animals do not lie.
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**Many thanks to Serge Stein for assistance with statistics on elections.
